Method of making multicolor prints.



A. H. SMITH.

METHOD OF MAKING MULTICOLOR PRINTS. APPLICATION FILED MAYI3. I915.

LMJQUB Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

QM, eni m- [my Ag by W A Atty @FT TEED 1 Amos 3. SMITH, on NEW roan N.Y., AssreNon ro AiunnrcAN BANK No'rn coMrANr,

A. GORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MAKING MULTICOLOR PRINTS.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Net. re, rare,

7, Application filed May 13, 1915. Serial No. 27,775;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Amos H. SMITH, a

citizen'of the United States, residing at the form a part thereof.

My invention relates to the method or art of making multi-colorvprintsand more particularly to a method by which certain results secured bydifi'erent printing methods may be secured upon a single impres sion.

My invention is particularly adapted for producing work having abackground tint and other matter in a contrasting tone or color.

Tn'lU. S. Letters Patent No. 538,7 50, dated May 7 18 95, and No.668,358, dated February 19, 1901, there was patented to me two methodsof making .prints of this character, the essential characteristic ofwhich was the transfer of the tinted design upon the top or non-printingsurface of an engraved, intaglio or undersurface plate and the making ofa single impression from this plate. My

resent invention relates to an improvement In the method or art referredto in the said Letters Patent, its object being to improve the productsecured by said patented methods by applying the ink to the elasticsurface for transferring it to the engraved intaglio or undersurfaceprinting plate in a manner to insure uniformity in the product evenafter a prolonged run. A The object of the tinted background is toprovide checks, drafts, bonds, stock certificates, bank notes, couponsand other negotiable instruments with a surface composed of a delicatedesign, light in tone, which'will be readily destroyed in the event ofan attempted alteration of the instrument-as well as to give such acharacter to the instrument as will admit of its being readilyidentified as genuine. These conditions requireuniformity in served inall of the impressions made.

the qualityof the work and similarity in the till depth of tone ofdifierent instruments of the same series.

When maldng impressions from an inked design, oflset upon an elastictransfer surface there is a tendency of the ink, upon a prolonged run,to accumulate upon this surface in a manner to strengthen theimpression, and in the methods referred to in my aforesaid LettersPatent this condition is present.

In my present lnvention, I aim to minimize the'effects of this conditionby providing in the mechanism by which the tinted design is applied tothe non-printing surface of the engraved, intaglio or undersurface platemeans whereby the strengthening of the design upon the transfer surfacewill be reduced to a minimum andthe delicate tints of the tintedimpression will thus be pg:-

Y this" method, the presence of ink upon the non printing surface of theplate in excess of that quantity required to give the required depth oftone in the imprint is avoided.

The invention consists primarily in the method or art of makingmulti-color prints consisting in applying a tinted design in ink.

to a smooth, polished, non-elastic, metallic surface, offsetting saiddesign from said surface to an elastic transfer surface, inking, wipingand polishing an engraved, intaglio or undersurface printing plate,thereafter ofi'setting the design upon said elastic transfer surface tothe non-printing or top surface of said plate and=making a singleimpression from said plate; and in such other novel steps and practices,as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointedout in the claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, T have shown diagrammatically an apparatuswhich may be used in the practice of my method or art.

While in the drawing l have illustrated the en aved, intaglio orundersurface printing surface as being'a flat plate, if desired,

a curved plate upon a form cylinder may be used instead of this flatplate and its horizontally movable bed.

In the practice of my improved art or method I first prepare anengraved, in taglio or undersurface printing plate by inking, wiping andpolishing in the usual manner to present a perfectly clean top ornon-printing surface thereon. I then apply to a smooth, polished,non-elastic, metallic surface a design having a tinted effect and offsetthis design upon an elastic transfer surface. I then ofiset the designfrom this elastic surface upon the top or non-printing surface of theengraved, intaglio or undersurface printing plate and making animpression from this plate upon a dampened sheet of pa er, impressingthereon two designs, that ormed by the lines upon the engraved, intaglioor undersurface printing plate and the tinted design impressed upon thetop or non-printing surface of said plate.

In this manner, I secure in a single impression the body of theinstrument having all of the characteristics common to an impressionfrom an engraved, intaglio or undersurface plate and a tinted backgroundin a contrasting tone or color having all those characteristics presentin tint impressions irom a cameo or planographic printing surace.

After each transfer of the tinted design from the smooth, polished,non-elastic, metallic printing surface to the elastic surface forapplying the design to the engraved, intaglio or undersurface plate, Ithoroughly cleanse said smooth, polished, non-elastic, metallic surfaceso as to prevent the accumulation of ink thereon and preserve acondition in this surface which will insure uniformity in the sharpnessand strength of the design transferred therefrom to the elastic transfersurface.

The manner of preparing said smooth, polished, non-elastic, metallicsurface preferably consists of inking a printing surface having thereona silhouette design corresponding in outline to the tinted back ground.This silhouette designIoffset upon an elastic transfer surface whichsurface I use for inking a plate having a tinted effect upon the surfacethereof. The inked portion of said tinted plate is then offset upon anelastic transfer surface from which the design is, in turn, offset uponsaid smooth,

I and effecting a distribution of the ink in a manner to result in thedesired delicacy in the tone value of the impression.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown at a a cylinder havingthereon a smooth, polished, non-elastic, metallic surface b. At 0 is acylinder having an elastic transfer surface d upon which the surface 6is adapted to ofiset the tinted design in ink. Adjacent the cylinder 0is a movable support 6 adapted to carry an engraved, intaglio orundersurface printing plate f and associated with the support 0 is aninking mechanism g, a wiping mechanism and a polishing mechanism z. Ialso employ associated with the support 6 an ordinary impressioncylinder or D-roll 7'.

Acting upon the surface 6 is a wiping mechanism 1; operative upon saidsurface after each time when the design has been offset therefrom to thetransfer surface 0?. This thoroughly cleanses said surface and preventsthe accumulation of ink thereon in a manner to broaden, or otherwisestrengthen the tone of, the lines.

The tinted design in ink is applied to the surface I) by a cylinder ishaving thereon an elastic transfer surface Z. Associated with thecylinder is is a cylinder m adapted to carry a plate at having thereon asurface having a tinted effect; a second cylinder 0 having thereon anelastic transfer surface p and a cylinder 9 adapted to carry a plate 1'having a silhouette design corresponding with the outline of the tintedbackground and an inking mechanism consisting of an ink fountain s,distributing rollers t and inking rollers 'u. Associated with the D-rollj is a feed shelf j.

By means of the apparatus above described, the silhouette design isinked and offset upon the transfer surface 79 which inks the plate athaving the tinted efi'ect. The tinted design is then transferred in ink,to the transfer surface Z upon the cylinder. 7:, from which surface itis transferred to the smooth, polished, surface 6. From this surface theink is offset upon the elastic transfer surface (1 by which it isapplied to the polished top or non-printing surface of the G111gr t;d,intaglio or undersurface printing p ate In this manner the quantity ofink applied to the tinted surface is reduced to a minimum and the rapidfouling of this surface is prevented. At the same time the transferrollers will, with a prolonged run, gather and maintain sufficientstrength to insure uniformity in the tone value applied to the surfacep, the accumulation of ink upon the surface 6 being prevented by thewiping mechanism 6.

While the impression is made under conditions such as are required inundersurface printing, the manner of applying the ink to the top surfaceof the engraved, intaglio or undersurface plate, is such as to admit ofthese printing methods being employed in making the tinted backgroundWithout likelihood of the spreading of the line by reason of the factthat the pressure at which the impression is made is greater than thatordinarily employed in making a tinted background.

Having described the invention, What I claim as new and desire to haveprotected by Letters Patent is 1. The method or art of making muticolorprints consisting in applying a tinted design in ink to a smooth,polished, nonelastic surface, offsetting said design from said surfaceto an elastic transfer surface, inking, wiping and polishing anengraved, intaglio or undersurface printing plate, thereafter offsettingthe design upon said elastic transfer surface to the non-printing or topsurface of said plate and making a single impression from said plate.

2. The method or art of making multicolor prints consisting in inking,wiping and polishing an engraved, intaglio or undersurface print-ingplate, applying to an elastic transfer surface a design in ink having atinted effect, offsetting said design from said surface to a smooth,polished, non elastic, metallic surface, offsetting the design from saidsurface to an elastic transfer sur: face, offsetting the design uponsaid last named elastic transfer surface to the nonprinting or topsurface of said plate and making a single impression from the saidplate.

'3. The method or art of making multicolor prints consisting-in inking,wiping and polishing an engraved, intaglio or undersurface printingplate, applying ink to a plate, the surface of which has a tintedeffect, offsetting the design from said plate to an elastic transfersurface, offsetting said design from said surface to a smooth, polished,non-elastic, metallic surface, offsetting the design from said surfaceto an elastic transfer surface, offsetting the design upon said lastnamed elastic transfer surface to the non-printing or top surface ofsaid plate and making a single impression from the said plate.

4. The method or art of making multicolor prints consisting in inking,Wiping-and polishing an engraved, intaglio or undersurface printingplate, applying to an elastic transfer surface an ink design insilhouette, transferring said silhouette design to a plate, the surfaceof which has a tinted effect, offsetting the design from said plate toan elastic transfer surface, offsetting said design from said surface toa smooth, polished, non-elastic, metallic surface. offsetting the designfrom said surface to an elastic transfer surface, offsetting the designupon said last named elastic transfer surface to the non-printing or topsurface of said plate and making a single impression from the saidplate.

5. The method 0' art of making multicolor prints consisting in applyinga tinted design in ink to'a smooth, polished, nonelastic surface,offsetting said design from said surface to an elastic transfer surface,wiping said smooth, polished, non-elastic, metallic surface after eachtransfer to said elastic surface, inking, wiping and polishing anengraved, intaglio or undersurface printing plate, thereafter offsettingthe design upon said elastic transfer surface to the non-printing or topsurface of said plate and making a single impression from said plate.

(3. The method or art of making multicolor prints consisting in inking,Wiping and polishing an engraved, intaglio or undersurface printingplate, applying to an elastic transfer surface a design in ink having atinted effect, offsetting said design from said surface to a smooth,polished, nonelastic, metallic surface, offsetting the design from saidsurface to an elastic transfer surface, wiping said smooth, polished,non-elastic, metallic surface after each transfer to said elasticsurface, offsetting the design upon said last named elastic transfersurface to the non-printing or top surface of said plate and making asingle impression from the said plate.

7. The method or art of making multicolor prints consisting in inking,Wiping and polishing an engraved, intaglio or undersurface printingplate, applying ink to a plate, the surface of which has a tintedeffect, offsetting the design from said plate to an elastic transfersurface, offsetting said design from said surface to a smooth, polished,non-elastic, metallic surface, ofisetting the design from said surfaceto an elastic transfer surface, wiping said smooth, polished,non-elastic, metallic surface after each transfer to said elasticsurface, offset ting the design upon said last named elastic transfersurface to the non-printing or top surface of said plate and making asingle impression from the said plate.

8. The method or art of making multicolor prints consisting in inking,Wiping and polishing an engraved, intaglio or undersurface printingplate, applying to an elastic transfer surface an ink design insilhouette, transferring said silhouette design to a plate, the surfaceof which has a tinted effect, offsetting the design from said plate toan elastic transfer surface, offsetting said design from said surface toa smooth, polished, non-elastic, metallicsurface, offsetting the designfrom said surface to an elastic transfer surface, wiping said smooth,polished, non-elastic, metallic surface after each transfer to saidelastic surface, offsetting the design upon said last named elastictransfer surface to the non-printing or top surface of said plate andmaking a single impression from said, plate.

in Witness whereof I hereunto alfix my signature in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses, this 23rd day of April, 1915.

AMOS H. SMITH Witnesses:

JUDITH PARDEE, CLARICE FRANCE.

